Rep. Carolyn Tomei has no illusions that she can stop Oregon's state-sponsored gambling, which pumps $1 billion into the state's general fund every two years.

But the Milwaukie Democrat thinks the time is ripe to hammer some more sideboards onto a program that she says causes as much misery to problem gamblers as it does opportunity for the rest of the state. She's on a mission to do just that when the Legislature convenes next month.

"When you see the ads, you see people laughing and talking and shouting," Tomei says. "If you ever go into a Dotty's or a Foxy's, people aren't laughing and chatting. They're very quietly investing in the game."

Tomei, who chairs the House Human Services Committee, is working on a trio of bills aimed at curbing gambling addiction and reducing pressure on the Oregon Lottery to make money for the state. Taken together, the bills represent some of the toughest anti-addiction measures since state voters approved lottery games in 1984.

HB 2166 -- Requires alcohol server education courses to include curriculum on how to identify problem gambling signs "or other emotional or behavioral issues" related to playing state lottery games.

HB 2167 -- Sets a two-year goal for state lottery revenues. Money above the goal would go into a rainy day fund. Eliminates language requiring the lottery to generate as much revenue as possible "commensurate with the public good."

Past efforts to restrict the lottery failed to find support among lawmakers wary about stifling what has become a lucrative source of money for schools, parks and other state programs. But Tomei says her efforts to target problem gamblers are getting early support.

"I've been working on this issue for years, and this is the closest I've come to getting any kind of traction," she says.

One of her bills would require the lottery to hire a full-time mental health expert to advise the director and the five-member commission on problem gambling and addiction issues. Another would require state alcohol server classes to include curriculum on how to recognize the signs of problem gambling as well as problem drinking.

A third proposal is more complex. It would do away with the mission statement that has guided the lottery since its inception: "To produce the maximum amount of net revenues... commensurate with the public good." Instead, the Legislature would put a cap on the amount of revenue the lottery is expected to raise -- basing the limit on current levels. Anything raised above the cap would be put in a special savings account to be used during economic downturns.

That last idea is the brainchild of the restaurant industry, which has an obvious interest in keeping a vibrant lottery. A revenue cap would reduce the tension between demands that the lottery make more money and concerns it is abetting addicts, says Bill Perry, lobbyist for the Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association.

"A lot of legislators don't like the fact that we're in the gaming business," Perry says. "They think the lottery is being too aggressive and not spending enough time on addiction."

At the same time, he says, the lottery gets pressure from other lawmakers to fill budget holes. Placing a limit on revenue expectations would relieve some of that pressure, he says.

"You're no longer driving the budget process based on how much lottery money you're getting," Perry says.

Lottery spokesman Chuck Baumann says his agency has to remain neutral on bills affecting it. But he has some context to offer.

The proposal for a full-time mental health staffer comes from an advisory group that looked into the lottery's policies after the ill-fated attempt to launch a new web site called "The ORcade." In response, the lottery has asked the Department of Justice for guidance on whether it would be appropriate to spend money on such a position, Baumann says.

"We have some pretty tight constraints on what we can and can't spend lottery dollars on," he says. The Justice Department has yet to respond.

Meanwhile, the agency is planning for a long and robust future. The lottery commission recently approved spending $215 million over the next five years to replace outdated video gambling machines.

Those machines, most of which resemble Vegas-style slots, are what give Tomei heartburn.

"The games are meant to be addictive," she says. "They're meant to be faster and more exciting and more difficult to walk away from."

Baumann says the lottery takes seriously concerns about problem gambling, and doesn't try to hook people on its games. "The whole notion is to get a lot of people playing just a little," he says.

On the question of capping lottery revenue expectations, Baumann says he doesn't see how that would affect lottery operations.

"Our whole goal is to make as much money for (state) programs as we can," he says. "We would probably just keep doing what we're doing."